Business

Volunteer Energy Cooperative’s VECustomers Share program awarded $2,750 in grants to Roane County community service organizations in April.
The program, founded in October 2001, has donated more than $3.7 million to various community-service organizations.
Roane County groups garnering grants in April include the Laurel Bluff Baseball Boosters, which received a $2,000 grant; and the Tennessee Chapel Baptist Church Food Pantry Fund, which was awarded a $750 grant.

The weather was just right to sit on the outdoor patio of Land’s End Southern Seafood and Steak, overlooking scenic Watts Bar Lake, for our recent “Out to Lunch” adventure.
Home folks know the location as Euchee Marina at Ten Mile. It’s now called Osprey Pointe Marina. Going south on Hwy. 58 from Kingston, turn right on River Road (Hwy. 304) and enjoy the ride. Land’s End is on the right at 200 Euchee Lane, about 15 miles down River Road and seven miles north of Watts Bar Dam.

Kingston native Susan Brown has been named store manager of the new Tractor Supply Co. store in Rockwood.
Brown began her career at Tractor Supply Co. as a manager-in-training two years ago in Sevierville. She later became manager of the Ooltewah store near Chattanooga. Before joining the company, she was store manager at Babies “R” Us for 15 years.

The Roane County Chamber of Commerce presented its prestigious annual business awards last week before a crowd of about 150 community and business leaders who attended the 65th annual banquet.

The event, which draws community and business leaders from the county and region, was in Whitestone County Inn.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett delivered the keynote speech and described how the governor and the legislature are working hard to reduce the size of government while improving its effectiveness.

Twenty students recently became the first graduates of Roane State Community College’s Advanced Materials Training and Education Center.

“Everybody wants to be a leader, and everybody wants to blaze a new trail,” guest speaker Jamie Nelson, training and logistics manager for Toho Tenax America, told the graduates during a ceremony at the college’s Oak Ridge campus. “You have done that. You have opened up a new door. What a proud moment it is for us all to see you at this point.”

The Sears Hometown Store of Harriman has been named a 2011 Sears Hometown Store Premier Dealer.

This annual award recognizes Sears Hometown Stores across the country that consistently offer the quality customer service, outstanding store performance and standards and exceptional demonstrations of community involvement.

Harriman Sears is among only 190 stores from more than 800 locations throughout the U.S. to receive this national recognition.